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Aromatherapy: More Than Just a Pleasant Scent?
Posted 25 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, April 25 – Aromatherapy is beginning to enter the medical mainstream, with groups as diverse as the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs touting the use of fragrance as a therapy that can complement traditional health care. There's little evidence to suggest that aromatherapy can directly cure illness, but research has found it can help reduce a wide range of symptoms and side effects in some people. "Many specific ailments can benefit from aromatherapy blends and treatments," said Monika Meulman, president of the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists. "For example, insomnia, nausea, headaches and migraines, and aches and pains are often improved with aromatherapy – just to name a few." Aromatherapy involves the use of what are called essential oils, which are very potent distillations of the fragrant portions of plant life such as flowers, ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Valerian, Cranberry, St. John's Wort, Evening Primrose Oil, Primrose Oil, Garlic, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, Black Cohosh, Saw Palmetto, Damiana, Aloe Vera
Minorities, Medicare Recipients Less Likely to Get Antidepressants
Posted 9 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 9 – Hispanics and blacks are less likely to be prescribed antidepressants than whites, and Medicare and Medicaid patients are less likely to receive the drugs than those with private insurance, a new study says. University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers examined data from 1993 to 2007 and found that whites were 1.5 times more likely to receive antidepressants than blacks or Hispanics with major depression. The study also found that Medicare and Medicaid patients were 31 percent and 38 percent less likely to be prescribed antidepressants than privately insured patients. Race didn't play a role in the type of antidepressants prescribed to patients, but insurance did. Medicare and Medicaid patients were 58 percent and 61 percent less likely to receive newer antidepressants than privately insured patients. Newer types of antidepressants such as serotonin ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Herbal Medicines for Arthritis Not Backed by Evidence
Posted 12 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 – There is little evidence to support the widespread use of herbal medicines to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to a review of these products. Osteoarthritis is a painful condition that involves damage to cartilage and other structures in and around the joints, particularly the fingers, knees and hips. It differs from rheumatoid arthritis, which is an immune-based disorder. Devil's claw, cat's claw, ginger, nettle, rosehip, turmeric, willow bark, Indian frankincense and vegetable extracts of avocado or soybean oils are all among the herbal medicines traditionally used to treat osteoarthritis. "Unfortunately, a large number of people suffer from osteoarthritis pain," said one expert, Dr. Robert Graham, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Current pharmacological management is largely focused upon reduction of pain and of ... Read more
Related support groups: Osteoarthritis, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Voltaren, Meloxicam, Advil, Diclofenac, Mobic, Aleve, Motrin, Indomethacin, Glucosamine, Toradol, Etodolac, Flector
Fear of Antidepressants Keep Many From Disclosing Depression
Posted 13 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Sept. 13 – For a nation that seems ready to pop a pill for any ill, a new study suggests that the opposite seems true for some people with symptoms of depression, whose concerns about the side effects of antidepressants were the top reason they wouldn't disclose warning signs to their doctors. A phone survey of more than 1,000 adults who had previously participated in the California Behavioral Risk Factor Survey System, which probed depression-related beliefs, showed that 43 percent reported one or more reasons for not talking to their primary care physician about their depression. Nearly a quarter of them worried that their doctor would recommend antidepressants – the most frequently cited reason for withholding the information. Other stated barriers to sharing depressive symptoms included the belief that it's not a primary care physician's job to deal with emotional issues ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Antidepressant Use Rising as Psychotherapy Rates Fall
Posted 6 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Dec. 6 – Even as fewer Americans have sought psychotherapy for their depression, antidepressant prescription rates have continued to climb in recent years, a new survey reveals. "This is an encouraging trend as it suggests that fewer depressed Americans are going without treatment," said study author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City. "At the same time, however, the decline in psychotherapy raises the possibility that many depressed patients are not receiving optimal care." "While progress is being made in increasing the availability of depression care, a mismatch is opening up between clinical evidence and practice," Olfson cautioned. "For many depressed adults and youth, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants is the most effective approach. Yet, only about one-third of ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Insight on Herbals Eludes Doctors, Patients Alike
Posted 8 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 8 – Medical personnel tend to think that people in general – themselves included – are poorly informed about herbal medicines and that their patients' faith in the power of such remedies is misplaced, according to a new survey. The survey was conducted online among 164 subscribers to the journal Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, which published the results online April 8. More than 80 percent of the respondents were doctors, mostly family physicians, and most of the other respondents were pharmacists. More than 85 percent of the survey participants indicated that they believe the public is poorly informed about herbal medicines. None considered the public to be well informed. However, 75 percent said that doctors also are poorly informed on the subject, with 22 percent indicating that doctors are "moderately well informed." Nearly half (48 percent) of the respondents ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Valerian, Cranberry, Evening Primrose Oil, St. John's Wort, Garlic, Primrose Oil, Milk Thistle, Black Cohosh, Ginseng, CoQ10, Damiana, Saw Palmetto
Herbal Remedies Can Cause Cardiac Problems
Posted 1 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Feb. 1 – The growing number of Americans who are taking traditional herbal medications for heart problems are unaware of the dangers those treatments pose, a new report says. "They may be safe," said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, a consultant cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and author of a report in the Feb. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "But in the United States, where patients often take multiple medications, there is a potential for harm." While up-to-date statistics aren't available, it appears that more than 15 million Americans are using herbal remedies and the number is growing, Jahangir said. "Consumers of these products think they are not getting proper attention from their physicians," he said. "The typical hands-on communication between physician and patient is getting compromised, and they are seeking that type of relationship." ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Valerian, Cranberry, Evening Primrose Oil, St. John's Wort, Garlic, Primrose Oil, Milk Thistle, Black Cohosh, Ginseng, CoQ10, Damiana, Saw Palmetto
Antidepressant Use in U.S. Has Almost Doubled
Posted 16 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 3 – Antidepressant use among United States residents almost doubled between 1996 and 2005, along with a concurrent rise in the use of other psychotropic medications, a new report shows. The increase seemed to span virtually all demographic groups. "Over 10 percent of people over the age of 6 were receiving anti-depression medication. That strikes me as significant," said study author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City. According to background information in the study, antidepressants are now the most widely prescribed class of drugs in the United States. The expansion in use dates back to the 1980s, with the introduction of the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine). The study found that 5.84 percent of U.S. residents aged 6 and over were using antidepressants in 1996, compared with ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Psych Drugs Gaining Widespread Acceptance
Posted 16 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, July 31 – A growing number of Americans now have a positive opinion on psychiatric medications, a new study contends. About five out of six people surveyed felt psychiatric medications could help people control psychiatric symptoms, but many also expected the medications could help people deal with day-to-day stresses, help them feel better about themselves and make things easier with family and friends. "People's attitudes regarding psychiatric medications became more favorable between 1998 and 2006," said study author Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, an associate professor in the department of mental health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Mojtabai expressed concern, however, that people's attitudes were increasingly positive, even in situations where there might not be a proven benefit to the drugs. "My hope would be for people to be more discriminating in ... Read more
Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Insomnia, Lexapro, Anxiety and Stress, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil
Psychotropic Medications Associated With Risk of Falls in Older Adults
Posted 1 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
CHICAGO, Nov. 23, 2009 - Older adults who take several types of psychotropic medications—such as antidepressants or sedatives—appear more likely to experience falls, according to an analysis of previous studies reported in the November 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. More than 30 percent of individuals older than 65 will fall at least once a year, and falls and their complications are the fifth-leading cause of death in the developed world, according to background information in the article. Each year, 85 percent of all injury-related hospital admissions and more than 40 percent of nursing home admissions are related to falls, and the annual costs related to falls and their complications are estimated to be in the billions of dollars worldwide. Both internal and external risk factors contribute to falls, and medications have previously been i ... Read more
Related support groups: Xanax, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Klonopin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Valium, Paxil, Ambien, Ativan, Clonazepam, Trazodone
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